Lohse most excited about Beltran pickup

ST. LOUIs (AP)

The Cardinals' new right fielder is a .564 career hitter against
the right-hander with four home runs, six doubles and 12 RBIs. Add
in 11 walks and the switch-hitting Beltran has a stunning .647
on-base percentage.

Lohse, a 14-game winner last year, joked at the team's Winter
Warmup that Beltran was the greatest player in history.

''Have you seen his numbers on me?'' Lohse said. ''What he
brings to the team is going to help us immensely, and it's going to
lower my ERA at least half a point. So it's good.''

The 34-year-old Beltran got a two-year, $26 million free agent
deal after a strong comeback season with the Mets and Giants,
rebounding from two injury-plagued years. The Beltran pickup helps
the World Series champions move on from the loss of Albert
Pujols.

''You can't fill Albert's shoes, but Carlos Beltran is an elite
talent,'' World Series MVP David Freese said. ''And when he's
healthy he's scary for sure.''

Virtually the entire title team, minus Pujols, will be honored
at the White House on Tuesday. This following their three-day fan
festival with lines so long for paid autographs, with funds going
to the team's Cardinals Care charity, that retired manager Tony La
Russa was still signing more than an hour past his allotted
two-hour slot.

All-Star Lance Berkman was the most expensive autograph at $100,
followed by Freese, Beltran, Matt Holliday and catcher Yadier
Molina, a Warmup no-show, at $75. Among the bargain signatures was
Lohse at just $5.

''Cardinals fans, that's why they're so good,'' reliever
Mitchell Boggs said. ''They're here no matter what. They appreciate
the World Championship but at the same time they appreciate the
Cardinals.''

Players are just about done savoring their unlikely run to the
title, coming from 10 1/2 games back in the NL wild card in late
August, then upsetting the Phillies, Brewers and Rangers. Not
yet.

''I probably didn't give it enough credit for being as great as
it is,'' Berkman said. ''I'm still kind of pinching myself and
turning to my wife every once in a while and saying, `Can you
believe we won this thing?'''

Beltran will play right while Lance Berkman moves back to first
base after being named NL comeback player of the year. Berkman
helped in the recruiting effort, leaving a voice mail message, and
is confident Beltran has plenty left.

''I don't believe he's ready for the rocking chair,'' Berkman
said. ''He runs pretty out there, he's got a great way about him, a
grace.''

Center field Jon Jay said he's ''super excited'' to be playing
next to Beltran, who moved to right field a few years ago to ease
the load on his legs.

Beltran said right field is much easier on his
surgically-repaired right knee, but is willing to play center if
needed. His only goal for next season is to stay on the field.

The Cardinals had been on Beltran's list of potential suitors
even before Pujols' departure because of their rich playoff
history, going to the postseason nine times in 16 years under La
Russa. Beltran picked St. Louis over the Indians, Rays, Giants and
an unnamed team that made a three-year offer for lower annual
salary.

''Honestly, last year was a real important year for me because
after coming from the injuries it gave me a sense of where I am and
how much baseball I have left.''

New manager Mike Matheny has suggested Beltran could be a good
No. 2 hitter, but Beltran said he'd be happy at ''two, three, four,
five, whatever.'' Beltran played 142 games last season, and said
the only time he missed was because of his knee.

''If I'm healthy, I don't worry about numbers because I know
that at the end of the year the numbers are going to be there,'' he
said.

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